UK ex-Commonwealth champion Baptiste found jailed in Morocco

Former Commonwealth Games 200m champion, Leon Baptiste, has been jailed in Morocco after being convicted in a case involving the sexual assault of a minor, bringing an end to weeks of uncertainty over the whereabouts of the former British sprinter.

Baptiste, 41, was reported missing after travelling to Morocco, where he had been working as a consultant sprint coach for UK Athletics.

According to the BBC on Wednesday, a source at the Moroccan Ministry of Justice confirmed that Baptiste was taken into custody in Marrakech in May, subsequently found guilty and is now serving a 10-month custodial sentence at Al-Oudaya prison.

The source rejected reports that Baptiste had disappeared, saying, “The foreign national concerned had not lost contact with his surroundings and was not subject to any disappearance or unexplained absence.”

The source added that Baptiste was “in good health.”

Morocco’s Public Prosecution Office separately confirmed Baptiste’s detention and imprisonment.

“The British national is currently being held at the local prison in Marrakech, where he is serving a custodial sentence following a court judgment against him in connection with his involvement in a criminal case,” the office said.

The Moroccan authorities said limited disclosure of case details was not unusual within the country’s judicial system.

Baptiste stopped communicating with athletes

Baptiste had ceased communicating with the athletes he was coaching more than three months ago, leaving both the athletes and UK Athletics unable to account for his absence.

In May, he reportedly sent a brief message to the sprinters he was training, informing them he would be away from sessions “for a while.” He did not provide further details.

The athletes had been preparing for major championship competitions without their coach at a key stage of the season.

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Baptiste had been working as a consultant sprint coach for UK Athletics, guiding a group of elite British track athletes ahead of this summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

He was also named England Athletics Coach of the Year at the 2023 Sporting Equals Awards.

Weekend reports had described Baptiste as missing in Morocco, but it has since emerged that he travelled to Marrakech with three other former British athletes, all of whom later returned to the UK.

UK confirms consular assistance

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson confirmed that the government was providing assistance to Baptiste.

“We are supporting a British national who is detained in Morocco and are in contact with the authorities,” the spokesperson said.

Baptiste’s family are understood to be aware of his imprisonment.

On Tuesday, an email was sent to the athletes he had been coaching in which he resigned from his role.

The email cited unspecified health issues as the reason for his departure and did not mention his conviction or imprisonment.

Baptiste won the 200m gold medal for England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and specialised in the 100m and 200m events during his sprinting career.

His later work as a coach saw him remain involved in British athletics, including through his consultancy role with UK Athletics.